


College, Coffee, & Chan

by byeolino



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: College AU, Kissing and making out, M/M, animal science major!minho, barista!chan, brief angst if you squint enough, brief mention of drinking, but there is nothing explicit, day6 youngk or younghyun appears as well, hyunjin and felix make a few appearances, jisung and changbin appear once as well, minchan are both in college but chan works part time as a barista, minho gets drunk in one part, music major!chan, rated M for making out and suggestive content, seungmin and jeongin are mentioned, suggestive and implied sexual content
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 05:20:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28499706
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byeolino/pseuds/byeolino
Summary: College + coffee seems like a pretty common equation once you've entered that university life. Minho can attest to that as he lives on coffee and instant ramen, stressing about his majors. But when a certain someone - Chan - comes into the equation, things seem a whole lot better for him; so maybe his equation should gocollege + coffee + channow.
Relationships: Bang Chan/Lee Minho | Lee Know
Comments: 22
Kudos: 164
Collections: october☆sparkle: minchan ficfest





	College, Coffee, & Chan

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! This is my fic for [October Sparkle](https://archiveofourown.org/collections/October_sparkle), the Minchan fic fest held by @MinchanFicfest on Twitter! I got prompt **#40** which is: _Minho, a stressed college student, frequently visits the campus coffee shop where music major Chan part-times as a barista. Little by little, Chan is able to make Minho's stressful days a lot better, and before they know it, they fall for each other._
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy! I wasn't expecting this to be 10k or so, but it was so worth it 'cause I got carried away~

**☕ 00. I’m Lee Minho ☕**

When Minho decided to major in animal science, he knew it wasn’t going to be a walk in the park. He knew about the stories from said majors that their time was constantly overwhelmed with readings and whatnot. 

_He didn’t mind. He loved animals, so of course he’d still pursue that major._

But that didn’t mean he wouldn’t hate the way he’d always be tired after class, or how he was instantly asleep once in his dorm room. Or how he barely had time to do activities with the university’s dance club. 

Before, Minho’s friends would somehow alleviate the stress when they would crash into each other’s dorm rooms, but now, even those friends were very busy with their own majors. _“If only my cats were here…”_ Minho would often think to himself, but that would clearly go against dorm rules, and well, Minho wasn’t about to risk that.

At least Felix was his roommate, and they could somehow still bond with each other as long as they were both free. 

* * *

**☕ 01. First meetings ☕**

It was another mundane school day for Minho, waking up with the blare of his alarm and grabbing whatever clothes he could get hold of first. Didn’t matter. Minho pulled off any outfit. And part of a mundane day would include going to all his classes, listening to lectures and jotting down important notes he would use for exams.

His classes often ended by 5:00 PM, and by then, Minho was either stressed, sleepy, or _both._ But for some reason, the male didn’t want to return to the dorms yet; maybe a little coffee run would boost his spirits because after more than a year in his major, Minho ran on just coffee and instant ramen. No surprise there.

Sleepless nights were now a norm for him, doing all sorts of research and studying thick books about animals and whatnot. He didn’t have time to lavish himself in decent meals, so...yes, instant ramen and coffee were his best friends. Luckily, the convenience store near the dorms never ran out of instant food, and _Blueprint_ , the coffee shop just across it, was open 24/7 - and yes, the coffee there was delicious. 

Minho groggily steps into the said coffee shop, pretty much on the verge of sleep just as the sun was getting ready to depart. It was the time when students were still having their last class or so, meaning that there weren’t many students as of right now. Even the cafe’s staff weren’t on full-shift, often saving the brunt of it for morning or late night shifts when students flooded the place. One barista currently checks on the stocks of cups in the nearby shelf while the other checks on the kitchen. 

“Hyunjin - ” Minho calls for the part-time barista he knew from his dance club.

But it was not this Hyunjin who approached the counter, because Minho’s eyebrows furrowed with confusion at the person standing across him. The figure seemed unbothered, eyes wide with warmth as he let out a soft chuckle, “Oh, Hwang Hyunjin?” the barista says, “Yeah, he changed his shift, so this current one became vacant. Hyunjin has the morning shift now.”

Minho hums, shaking the sleepiness from his mind and eyes, “I see. Sorry.”

“No worries. What can I get for you?” the barista smiles, dimples on full display.

“Just the regular.” Minho says groggily after yawning.

“Your regular...is what exactly?” the other male laughs sheepishly, scratching the back of his head, “Sorry, I’m not quite sure I’m familiar…”

“No, no.” Minho finally snaps out of his sleepy state, narrowed eyes now much more awake and bright, “My bad, Hyunjin was the only one who knew that. Well, I’ll just have an iced americano with one pump of syrup to sweeten it.”

The barista smiles, nodding his head again, “Alright….?”

Minho is staring blankly at the plastic cup in the barista’s hand, eyelids threatening to flutter shut. The barista clears his throat, chuckling softly, “Um...may I have your name?”

“Oh my gosh,” Minho blinks quickly, groaning as he rubs his eyes, “So sorry. It’s Minho.”

“Alright, Minho.” the barista continues to smile warmly before cracking a larger grin, “Rough day?”

Minho mirrors the smile, shaking his head, “Kind of. Classes are more stressful recently.”

“Harsh.” the barista finishes writing Minho’s name on the cup, “My classes start in the morning and finished not too long ago as well.”

“Hmm.” Minho hums, tilting his head, “But you have to go here right after.”

“Better here than in a classroom.”

“Point taken.”

The barista chuckles, taking Minho’s payment before gesturing towards the other end of the counter. “Please wait a few seconds for your order.” he bows before leaving the counter to prepare the drink.

Minho watches the barista walk away, eyes glued to his surprisingly broad back.

 _“Minho, it’s too late for this.”_ he tells himself, internally groaning once more.

The male then takes a seat on the table nearby, whipping his phone out to ask Hyunjin about his change in shifts. After he sends his message, he puts his phone back in his pocket, eyes unconsciously drifting back to the dimpled barista with dark brown hair perfectly parted and slicked back on one side. 

He’d tease Hyunjin for being everyone’s barista crush, but this new one...was also pretty cute. The dimples and warm smile? _Yeah, definitely a cutie._

Minho is lost in his own world once more, unable to hear the barista calling his name. It’s only after the fourth time does Minho snap out of it, standing abruptly and scurrying over to the counter in embarrassment. “I’m so sorry about that...ah, I just really…” Minho trails off, thinking of an explanation.

“It’s fine, Minho.” the barista laughs, “I’m sure you’re dying to go back to the dorms to sleep, so I hope the coffee gives you a boost of sorts.”

 _“Heck no, your smile will.”_ Minho thinks to himself.

“Ah, yeah, I hope so.” Minho smiles instead, shaking his head in amusement, “Thanks again…?”

“Chan.” the barista grins, his dimples popping out again, “Bang Chan.”

“Thanks, Chan.” Minho nods with a smile, “See you around.”

“See you. Rest well!” Chan grins before returning to the counter as another customer walks in.

As Minho trudges back to the dorms, he suddenly feels like he doesn’t need the coffee anymore.

“Bang Chan.” he mutters to himself, unaware of the giddy smile that’s slowly creeping onto his lips. 

* * *

**☕ 02. Hi, it’s me again ☕**

“I’m here for the coffee.” Minho tells himself despite the fact that he drank a whole can of coffee this morning thanks to Felix’s kindness.

Yet here he was, standing a few steps away from the front door of Blueprint. 

He should have been in his dorm room right now, but seeing as to how his legs brought him here against his will, he had no choice... _probably_. What else was he going to do? It’s not like he could bug his friends when they were the ones with class. And he wasn’t too keen on spending more than two hours in the library. He could sleep or do some homework but...where was the fun in that?

“I’m _definitely_ here for the coffee.” he says much louder.

Convinced that he was there for the coffee indeed, Minho pushes the doors open. It was more crowded by now, approximately 6:30 in the evening. Students would have finished their classes by now, unless they were the late-night-classes kind. Minho catches a quick glimpse of Chan, working one someone’s drink with a smile as another barista cracked a joke. 

The male finds himself standing at the counter again, waiting for any barista - _or Chan_ \- to come up and take his order. Just as he wanted, the dimpled barista takes his place behind the counter, flashing Minho a pleasantly surprised kind of smile.

“Oh, hi again.” Chan chuckles, “The regular, I’m assuming?”

Minho chuckles, nodding his head, “You know it.”

“Got it.” Chan smiles, deciding to joke around, “Next thing you know, I’ll be writing my number on your cup.” 

“Oh, well, I won’t oppose that. My messages have been pretty dead recently.” Minho laughs along, handing over his payment.

Chan grins, his eyes radiating their usual warmth as he looks up at Minho, “I kinda take long to respond though.”

Minho makes a “pfft” sound with his lips before smirking, “You can’t possibly be worse than my friend, Seungmin. He leaves me on ‘read’ on purpose.”

“Seems like he likes to push your buttons.” Chan looks amused.

“You have no idea.” Minho chuckles, shaking his head, “He happens to be dating my roommate too.”

“Third-wheeling sucks, I know.” Chan laughs, “You should get yourself a boyfriend then.”

Minho opens his mouth to respond, but before he can say anything, a customer behind him and clears her throat. 

“I don’t mean to eavesdrop, and as much as this conversation is lovely to hear, you both can flirt with each other after I place my order.” she chuckles, winking playfully.

Minho’s eyes widen at her in surprise before going back to Chan. The barista does the same before both males stifle their laughter. Minho bows at the girl and smiles, “Sorry about that.”

The girl doesn’t seem too bothered and smiles in response, so Minho walks off to the other counter to wait for his drink. 

A few minutes later, another barista calls Minho’s name for his order. Though it was unfortunate that Chan wasn’t the one who called him, Minho didn’t dwell on it. He stands up and takes his drink, thanking the other barista named Younghyun. But as if Minho was in a movie or novel, his lips curled into an amused smile.

_There was a number written on his cup._

Minho looks at Younghyun with a curious expression. The kind barista smiles and winks, nodding his head towards Chan before leaving to make another drink.

Shaking his head in amusement, Minho takes one more look at the number. Beside it is a little worm drawing with a star, followed by a message that read:

> _My messages are kinda dead too :]_   
>  _\- C_

With a wider grin, Minho turns his head to look at Chan. The barista has just finished taking a customer’s order before switching with Younghyun. The latter takes orders while Chan begins to make drinks, but as Chan gets a cup and fills it with ice, his eyes meet Minho’s.

“You’re such a cliche.” Minho smirks, “It’s cringey but...I am amused.”

Chan laughs, his dimples in all its glory, “Whatever you say, Minho. Better than me asking Hyunjin for your number.”

“Please don’t involve him.” Minho jokes, causing Chan to laugh more.

After saying goodbye, Minho waves once more before walking out of the coffee shop. It doesn’t take long for him to get back to his dorm room, and while Felix is flopped on the bed, the freckled male greets him with a smile before resuming his video call with Yang Jeongin.

Minho flops onto his own bed as well, whipping his phone out to check which assignment he should do first. He looks to the bedside table where his coffee sits, and he then remembers that Chan had written his number down.

Well, it’s not like it meant he liked him or anything, so Minho decided to try it out. Maybe gain a new friend.

> _Minho: You make pretty good coffee you know? It rivals Hyunjin’s. This is Minho btw :3_
> 
> _Chan: Thank you, I try hahaha. It’s my second major~_
> 
> _Minho: I thought you take long to reply? Hahaha_
> 
> _Chan: Sometimes. It depends haha._
> 
> _Minho: Really now? Heh, well aren’t you working?_
> 
> _Chan: 10 min. break :)_
> 
> _Minho: Cool. I should study now lol good luck at work_
> 
> _Chan: Ok! Good luck to you too. Hope the coffee helps! <3_

Minho nearly stares at his phone screen with a raised eyebrow, an expression of disbelief. A heart emoticon? It was either Chan was just very friendly, or he was flirting with him. _Flirting?_ That was a strong word. _Maybe not that._

Whatever it was, it made Minho smile in the end, unaware of the fact that his heart was doing little happy jumps.

> _Minho: It certainly will~_

And that evening, Minho was on a roll with his assignments. 

* * *

**☕ 03. The beginning of our journey...or walk ☕**

Minho felt extremely sleepy today, and because his first morning class was extremely boring, he decided to go for a quick coffee run first.

He arrived at Blueprint, greeted by a familiar face’s smile. “Hey Minho!” Hyunjin waves him over.

“I heard you had the morning shift now.” Minho smiles.

“Yeah, it’s easier for me to juggle my classes this way.” Hyunjin explains, “How’d you know?”

“Unlike you who didn’t tell me,” Minho teases, “Chan told me when I looked for you the other day.”

“Ok, sorry about that. It slipped my mind.” the tall male chuckles sheepishly, “And you know Chan too?”

“Just met him that day, but we’re...pretty much friends I guess.” Minho shrugs casually.

“Oooh.” Hyunjin grins before his eyes flit forward, “And speaking of which…”

“Hey Hyunjin.” a warm voice says cheerily.

If Minho wasn’t careful, Hyunjin would have easily seen the way his eyes widened with surprise, cheeks on the verge of flushing pink. And when Minho feels a hand clamping onto his shoulder, his heart may have just lodged itself in his throat.

“Hiya Chan.” Hyunjin grins, “Morning coffee run?”

“Yup.” Chan smiles, turning to Minho, “You too?”

Minho can vaguely register Hyunjin going “hmm” while smirking, but he ignores his friend. Minho then flashes the calmest smile he can muster before replying, “Yeah, today’s first class is really...boring.”

“Oh, that sucks.” Chan laughs.

“Hmm.” Minho nods before turning to Hyunjin, “You know what I like, Jinnie.”

Hyunjin feigns innocence as he sing-songs, “Yeah, got it. One ameri _chan_ o - I mean americano coming right up.”

Minho pretends to not hear his friend’s jest, and he certainly hopes Chan didn’t as well. Who knows what he’d think or how he’d react. After paying, Minho steps to the side to allow Chan to place his order, and for some reason, he finds himself waiting for Chan.

When Chan finishes, the dimpled male turns to Minho with a smile, “Shall we?”

It takes Minho a second to register, but then he nods and starts walking to the other counter with Chan. While waiting for their drinks, Minho decides to warm things up and asks, “So, if you part-time here, does that mean you get discounted drinks? Hyunjin never gives me a decent answer.”

Chan chuckles, “A little, but you didn’t hear that from me.” he adds a wink.

Minho then smiles a bit wider, eyes twinkling with amusement, “Maybe you should buy me a drink next time.”

“Maybe I will.” Chan hums, his lips curling into a cute little smirk.

“Here you go.” Hyunjin suddenly says, handing over their drinks, “Enjoy and good luck with your classes!”

“Thanks.” Minho smiles, sipping his coffee.

Chan does the same, waving at the tall barista before turning to Minho. “Let’s go.” Chan smiles.

Both males begin walking out of the coffee shop and towards the main part of their campus. Drinks in their hands, there’s an indescribable silence that isn’t awkward but is actually very comfortable and light. “Why’d you decide to do part-time?” Minho suddenly asks.

“Extra money? Experience?” Chan chuckles after sipping his drink, “Musical equipment isn’t that cheap, you know?”

“So...you’re probably a music major.” Minho hums, “Cool.”

Chan nods, “It’s fun, and…” the male sheepishly scratches the back of his neck, “...you know, music’s my passion.” 

Minho smiles gently, “It’s cool. Seeing people with passion is nice.”

Chan shyly laughs at this, his smile widening. He then turns his attention to Minho and asks, “What’s your major?”

“Animal science.” Minho hums, “I love animals...like a lot.”

Chan’s eyes twinkle, “That sounds nice, but I can see why you’re always so stressed and tired.”

“Right?” Minho laughs, “It’s like being a med student but for animals.”

“At least you’ll get to work with animals in the future.”

“That’s the perk.” Minho smirks victoriously, “Is majoring in music hard?”

“It depends. It’s difficult and demanding, but like I said, music’s my passion so no matter how pressuring my requirements and stuff get, I feel great still.” Chan chuckles, shaking his head, “I don’t know if that made sense.”

Minho nods his head a bit too vigorously, “No, no, I get what you mean. Isn’t it just...hard to juggle that while part-timing?”

“It can get difficult, but I somehow manage. Besides, working at the coffee shop is kind of like a breather for me since I get to make people happy.” Chan grins.

Minho could see that because the past few days he’s interacted with Chan, there was something about him that certainly made him much happier and less stressed. “Do you rush to the coffee shop right after class?” Minho inquires again.

“Yup.” Chan nods, “After my last class for the day, I go straight to the coffee shop at 4:00. But since it operates 24/7, my shift ends at around...10:00 PM.”

“What?” Minho looks shocked, “Then you do school work and all that studying?”

“Yeah, got used to it though.” Chan playfully points at the bags under his eyes.

“Tough.” Minho pouts his lip, “Well, I’m the same though. Barely getting enough sleep.”

“Such is college.”

“You said it.”

Eventually, the two arrive at the campus’ main quadrangle where the buildings and various major departments are separated and scattered. Stopping in their tracks, the two males face each other. “Well, my building’s that way.” Chan gestures, “See you around then?”

Minho nods, offering a small smile, “Definitely.”

“Cool.”

With that, the two say their goodbyes and begin to walk towards their respective buildings, identical grins and flushed cheeks painting their faces. Minho tries not to think about it so early in the morning, but Chan finds himself thinking that working part-time in that coffee shop has given him yet another perk.

Discounted drinks, making people happy, mingling with others…

_And above all, meeting Lee Minho._

* * *

**☕ 04. I think I’m in love ☕**

“I’m starting to think you’re stalking me.” Chan teases the minute his eyes meet Minho’s as the latter walks into Blueprint.

Minho laughs, pretending to look deadpan, “Not my fault you work here when this is my go-to place.”

Chan smiles, “Alright, smartass. Regular?”

Minho shakes his head, leaning forward on the counter as his eyes scan the menu, “I’ll switch things up today. Surprise me with your recommendation.”

“You got it.” Chan playfully salutes after receiving Minho’s payment.

Afterwards, Minho heads to a table where he pulls out a few books and notes, burying himself with studying for a quiz he was going to have in two days. Chan finishes Minho’s drink in the meantime, and he’s about to call for his name. However, upon seeing the focused expression etched onto the other male’s face and the way he was hunched over his notes, Chan thinks it’s best to not bother him.

Instead, he circles around the counter and delivers the drink to Minho himself. The studying male is visibly surprised, eyes wide with lips in an “o” shape as he looks up at Chan. “You seemed pretty busy.” Chan chuckles warmly, placing Minho’s drink on the table.

When Minho reaches out to hold it, his hand brushes with Chan’s for a split second. He feels his nerves buzzing with life, but he manages to play it cool. “Yeah, I have a quiz soon. Thanks anyway.” Minho smiles.

Chan nods, “If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to call me over.” 

Minho finds himself grinning wider, staring at Chan with stars unknowingly in his eyes, “I will, Chan. Thanks again.”

With that, Chan turns on his heel and returns to his post behind the counter. Minho then resumes studying, going over his notes and one thick book. 

Minutes and hours pass without Minho realizing as he absorbs everything he’s studying. Why was the test coverage so intensive anyway? Either way, the male did his best, but eventually, he felt like he was burning out and getting stressed as usual. With his head in his hands, he lets out an inaudible groan. He checks his phone; it was only 9:00 PM yet he felt like collapsing in sleep. His drowsiness takes over, and soon, his head slips from his hands and bumps on the table with a loud thud.

The other customers and students in the coffee shop looked in surprise, but it seemed to be a normal thing as they returned to whatever they were doing within seconds. Younghyun walks over to Chan, whispering cheekily, “Your boyfriend looks dead. Why don’t you check on him? As head barista, I’ll cover for you.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.” Chan coughs quite defensively, his pale skin flushing pink.

“Fine. _Your friend_.” Younghyun snickers, “Just go, kiddo.”

Chan playfully pouts at the older male before flashing him a smile. Younghyun chuckles, gently pushing Chan forward. The dimpled barista then carefully approaches Minho, placing a gentle hand on the male’s back.

“You good?”

Minho sits up straight, lifting his head from the table. He then looks at Chan shyly, his embarrassed smile making the barista chuckle. “Yeah, sorry. Information overload.” Minho jokes, pointing to his head.

Chan laughs before saying, “Hold on.”

Minho can’t question him as the barista cutely jogs back to the counter. Not too long later, Chan returns to Minho’s table with a warm scone served on a plate. Minho looks at Chan with a surprised expression, but the barista only smiles. “Chan - ” Minho begins, but Chan cuts him off.

“It’s fine, Minho.” Chan says warmly, his smile definitely warmer than the scone, “It’s on me.”

“What? You didn’t have to, really.” Minho looks flustered at this point.

Chan can hear Younghyun playfully whistling, so he shoots him another pout. Shaking his head in amusement, the young barista then smiles back at Minho. “But I wanted to, so it’s fine.” Chan says with a grin, “If you’re going to study this intensely, might as well eat something.”

Minho can only laugh airily, his eyes never leaving Chan’s as he nods his head in acknowledgement. “Now I owe you something.” Minho pretends to whine, pouting his lips.

This causes Chan to laugh and playfully wink, “No need. I get discounts, remember?”

“Show-off.” Minho smirks, crossing his arms.

Chan grins, his dimples making Minho’s heart do all sorts of things again. The barista then ruffles Minho’s hair as he stares into the male’s eyes with so much gentleness. He doesn’t say anything, but there’s something about his gaze that relaxes and softens Minho. After a second or two, Chan flashes one more smile before walking back to the counter.

Minho can only pick at the scone with his fork, the stars in his eyes dancing in a frenzy as he tries to calm what seemed to be butterflies in his stomach. 

When Chan stands next to Younghyun to resume working, the head barista laughs and whispers, “I think you broke him, Channie.”

“What?” Chan looks clueless, eyes wide as he looks at Minho who is now blankly staring at his notes as he sips his coffee, “He’s just concentrating, that’s all. I gave him a scone for an energy boost.”

“Sure.” Younghyun playfully scoffs, patting Chan’s back before leaving to make some drinks. 

Chan laughs at the older barista before sparing a quick glance at Minho once more. As if the universe spoke to Minho, he looks up and towards Chan as well. When their gazes meet, Chan lifts his hand to wave once before flashing his signature dimpled grin. Minho laughs to himself before returning the gesture, the corner of his lips curling up cutely. 

“Get back to work.” Chan mouths playfully, prompting Minho to stick his tongue out. 

Chan playfully rolls his eyes, making Minho laugh in return. Both males then continue working, unaware of the fact that Younghyun has been smirking at them the entire time.

About an hour later, Chan finishes his shift and changes into his casual clothes before hanging his apron in the staff room. He excuses himself and says goodbye to Younghyun and the other employees. Slinging his backpack over his shoulder, Chan stops in his tracks upon seeing Minho hunched over the table, pretty much asleep.

He gently shakes the male, and Minho stirs awake. He yawns, voice groggy as he says, “What’s up?”

Chan chuckles, “You’re still here? You should have gone back to your dorm if you were this tired.”

Minho stretches like a cat and smiles, “I fell asleep. Old habits.”

Chan nods, ruffling Minho’s hair yet again, “Well, my shift just ended and I’m going back to the dorms. Wanna come?”

“Hmm, ok.” Minho agrees instantly, already packing his things, “I need to sleep.”

Chan smiles, and when Minho finishes packing up, they both start to walk back to the dorms.

Throughout the entire walk back, the two males just engaged in casual conversation, talking about their respective majors, interest and even clubs or organizations. A few jokes - _and maybe subtle flirting_ \- were also thrown into their conversation. It felt very familiar and warm as if they had known each other for years.

Minho was sarcastic at times, but he was a very genuine and friendly person. Chan seemed shy and quiet, but he was also a very good listener and conversationalist. They both had this energy wherein they were quite different from each other, but that difference matched perfectly, their rhythm definitely in sync with each other. 

Soon, they arrived at the male dormitory; Chan’s room was on the second floor while Minho’s was on the first. When they got to the lobby, Minho turns to give Chan a genuine smile, “Thanks for...tonight. You know…” 

Chan nods, his grin brightening the whole lobby, “No problem. Happy to help, Minho.”

“Wish I could help you or pay you back.” Minho scratches the back of his neck sheepishly.

“No need for that!” Chan laughs, patting Minho’s hair for the third time, “Seeing you happy and smiley is enough.”

Minho seems to have gotten dumbstruck with that statement because his mouth hangs open, a decent response refusing to form. Chan chuckles, waving at the male before saying, “Sleep well then! Good night.”

With that, Chan turns on his heel and begins to head for the stairs. Minho stands frozen in his spot, still trying to register or comprehend what Chan had just said. 

“I think I’m in love…” Minho mutters to himself once Chan is out of sight.

“That’s new.” Felix then says from behind.

Minho jolts in surprise, turning around to look at his roommate with a confused expression, “Where’d you come from?”

“Seungmin, Jeongin and I watched a movie.” Felix beams, linking his arm around Minho’s, “Let’s go? You can tell me about this person you’re in love with then.”

“Not a word goes out, Lix. Got it?”

“You have my word!”

* * *

**☕ 05. Parties are fun...until you get drunk ☕**

It’s been approximately a month and a half since Minho and Chan became friends. Their friendship had grown into something deeper, and their own friends had thought that they were perhaps dating. Both denied this of course, explaining that they were just “best friends” at this point.

They would talk and joke around with each other when Minho dropped by Blueprint, and sometimes, when Chan’s shift was over, they’d stay around for a few more minutes to talk and bond over another cup of coffee. They’d also hang out outside of campus, going to parks, watching movies - everything you’d do with a best friend. 

They crashed in each other’s dorm rooms, either to study together or binge some Netflix series. Some nights led to a few cuddles wherein both males would defend themselves and say that it was “strictly platonic”. 

Felix would joke that at this point, Minho and Chan were dating but they just didn’t want to label it. Minho would shrug it off, but he did certainly admit that maybe he liked Chan to an extent.

Chan’s friend, Changbin, was the same, teasing him over Minho and how he was head over heels for the animal science major. Chan would laugh it off, saying that he wasn’t in any rush to date him since he enjoyed their friendship.

Still, one could not deny that they instantly clicked with each other, like puzzle pieces that fit together - cut and made to perfectly match.

Minho loved the fact that his weekend wasn’t occupied by studying and assignments. He was just lying in bed, watching some Netflix series on his laptop since Felix went out with Seungmin. Suddenly, his phone rang with a notification.

> _Chan: Minho, you busy today?_
> 
> _Minho: Nope. What’s up?_
> 
> _Chan: The music majors are having a party tonight. Wanna come? ;)_
> 
> _Minho: But...isn’t that for music majors only?_
> 
> _Chan: Nah we can invite 1-2 friends_
> 
> _Minho: Hmmm ok then. It’s been a while since I got to party :P_
> 
> _Chan: Cool, I’ll send you the address :)_

Minho found his nerves tingling with excitement; the last party he attended was one Hyunjin hosted, but that was almost a year ago. And...this was a party with Chan.

Somehow, the idea made Minho squeal into his pillow.

He decided to kill time by binge watching Netflix and even taking a quick nap. Before he knew it, night came and he was up and about, getting dressed for the party. Minho could be wearing a shirt and jeans and would still look like a luxury model. He sprays on some cologne, courtesy of Felix, and dashed out the door.

Once at the party, a cheery voice called for him, “Minho!”

Minho turns, grinning in amusement, “Hey Jisung.”

“What brings you here?” the other male gives him a high-five.

“Bang Chan invited me.” Minho shrugs, “I haven’t partied in forever, so why not?”

Jisung’s eyes widen with delight, “Chan’s my groupmate for our project in some class.”

Minho hums, “Cool. I just met him at the coffee shop Hyunjin works at.”

Just then, Chan walks over with another male with dark hair. “Hey Minho.” Chan grins, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

“Hey.” Minho responds with a grin.

Jisung joins in, “I didn’t know you knew Minho too, Channie.”

Chan laughs, “Coffee-shop-meet kind of thing. How’d you guys know each other?”

Minho smiles, “Jisung is Hyunjin’s roommate. I tend to hang out in his room when my roommate’s boyfriend comes over.”

“Cool.” Chan nods before gesturing to the male beside him, “This is Changbin by the way. Childhood friend. Bin, this is Minho, the...guy I told you about.”

Changbib smirks, “Nice to meet you. Finally.”

“Suddenly I’m afraid of what Chan told you about me.” Minho jokes, causing the other three to chuckle with him.

The rest of the night goes on as a typical college party would, with dancing, music, drinks, mingling and whatnot. Chan and Minho pretty much flirt with each other, the party probably giving them a boost of confidence.

Later on, Minho recognizes a few familiar faces from his dance club, so he goes to socialize and interact with them while Chan does the same with his fellow music majors. 

However, as the early morning hours of 2:00 AM neared, one dance club member approaches Chan with a sheepish expression. 

“Are you Bang Chan?”

Chan smiles, “Yeah, what’s up?”

The member chuckles, “Lee Minho is a bit...drunk. Ok, he’s drunk, and we told him to go back to the dorms so he can rest but then he said ‘find Bang Chan first’ so...yeah.”

Chan sighs, his expression a mix of surprise and amusement. “Alright, where is he?”

The member leads Chan to the couch where Minho lay, whining about his head spinning and the music being too loud. Chan sits beside him, putting a steady hand on his arm, “Min, why don’t we go back to your dorm room?”

Minho mumbles incoherent words, so Chan carefully pulls him up to stand, supporting the male’s body by wrapping an arm around his waist. “I’ll take it from here, thanks.” Chan smiles warmly at the other dance club members.

He then tells Jisung and Changbin the situation, and when they say goodbye, Chan quite literally carries a drunken Minho back to the dorms.

Once in Minho’s room, Chan makes sure to lay him on the bed as carefully as possible. Minho has the energy to spit some childish protests, but Chan just looks at him with amusement. “You drank too much, man.” Chan shakes his head, “Or are you just bad at handling your alcohol?”

Minho rolls his eyes, sitting up despite the room spinning around for him, “I can handle my alcohol, thank you! I just have a lot of thoughts and thought drinking could help me clear my head!”

“Yeah, wrong answer.” Chan looks like a stern parent, “Drinking doesn’t help in the long run, my friend.”

Minho whines and pouts before making grabby hands at Chan. The dimpled male sighs, sitting beside Minho on the bed. Minho hums in satisfaction, unaware of how his body moved on its own. Within seconds, he’s hugging Chan’s arm, resting his head on the male’s shoulder.

Chan doesn’t seem to mind, smiling to himself as he runs his fingers through Minho’s slightly disheveled hair. Maybe Minho was a cat, because he nearly purrs at the gesture. 

He then lifts his head, hazy eyes staring directly at Chan. The latter does the same, looking at Minho with a curious tilt of his head. Minho breaks into a ridiculously giddy smile, eyes half-lidded as he whispers, “Your lips are so pretty.”

Chan can smell the alcohol from Minho, but it’s his attractive smile that has him falling under a spell; it’s the fact that he can feel Minho’s breath mingling with his own. Chan hums, whispering back, “Yours are too.”

And it doesn’t take long for Minho to smack his lips against Chan’s, kissing him aggressively. Maybe it’s the alcohol, maybe it’s just what he wanted to do for a while. Only Minho knows.

Either way, Chan reciprocates after a brief moment of hesitation, matching Minho’s aggressiveness. Minho moans against Chan’s lips when the dimpled male drags his tongue across the roof of Minho’s mouth. This spurs Chan on, and he finds himself gripping Minho’s waist, lifting him with ease. 

With Minho now straddling his lap, Chan kisses him in a deeper and hungrier manner. Minho relishes in the sensation, shoving his tongue into Chan’s mouth and immediately battling for dominance. Though Chan wins the battle, Minho doesn’t relent, sucking on the other male’s tongue which elicits a groan from him. 

Chan’s wandering hands drive Minho crazy, especially when they caress at the curve of his back from under his shirt. Minho sucks and bites and licks Chan’s lips, hungry for more and more. He whines when Chan pulls away, but is soon shut up when the music major latches his lips onto his neck.

When Chan starts sucking on a particularly sensitive spot, Minho moans and throws his head back in bliss. His hips involuntarily start to grind down on Chan, hands gripping Chan’s shoulders for support. Chan returns his lips to Minho’s, kissing him fervently. 

But as Minho squeezes Chan’s shoulders tighter and rolls his hips harder, Chan snaps out from his desire and pulls away. He snaps his eyes open, his hands going to Minho’s hips to stop his movements. The latter whines when Chan gently lifts him off his lap and back beside him. 

“I’m sorry, Min.” Chan looks at him as softly as possible, “I...you’re drunk. I don’t think we should be doing this right now.”

Minho pouts his swollen lips, “You’re a killjoy.” Minho puts his hand over the tent in Chan’s pants.

Chan quickly takes Minho’s hand away, lacing their fingers together instead. He places soft kisses on the other male’s knuckles, and with his other hand, he pinches Minho’s cheek, “I’d love to Minho, but I’m not doing this when you’re drunk. I’d prefer it if you were sober so it’s more...memorable and intimate.”

Minho sighs, his eyes glassy with sleepiness either way. Surrendering to Chan, he rests his head on the other male’s shoulder instead. Chan smiles, wrapping his arms around Minho’s body in a warm embrace, “I’ll just give you cuddles instead, ok? Until you fall asleep.”

“Hmm.” Minho mumbles contentedly, already closing his eyes.

Chan continues to cradle Minho in his arms, placing feathery kisses to the top of his head. Minho’s long gone off to dreamland, unaware of the kisses being administered. Chan observes the male’s ethereal and gentle features, placing one last gentle kiss on his nose.

_Perhaps Minho wasn’t the only one in love._

“I love you.” Chan whispers, believing that Minho wouldn’t be able to hear.

It was fine though. He certainly wanted to let the male know one of these days, but perhaps today was not the day.

* * *

**☕ 06. Perhaps I messed up ☕**

The next day, Minho wakes up with a pounding headache and groggy disposition. With narrowed eyes and a spinning head, he sits up and squints at the faint brightness in his room. He remembers going to the party with Chan, and he clearly remembers what they were both doing... _and about to do._

Groaning in embarrassment, Minho cradles his head in his hands and internally screams. Shortly after, the side of his bed dips as Felix sits next to him. “Channie brought you here last night.” the freckled male grins, “Said you got drunk in a party. How are you feeling? Do you need anything?”

Minho sighs, shaking his head, “I just feel really dizzy, but I’ll be fine.” he stops for a few seconds, hesitation slowly creeping in before he musters up the courage to ask, “Did...Chan say anything else? Mention or talk about anything?”

“Hmm,” Felix looks up in thought before turning his gaze back to Minho, “not really. He did say that...what was it...ah! He said he’d like you to call or text him when you were awake already.”

“Alright, thanks Lix.”

“Sure.”

Felix then goes back to his bed, grabbing his laptop to do some assignments. Minho on the other hand, grabs his phone from the bedside table and calls Chan.

“Hello? You’re up? Great, how are you?”

“I’m ok.” Minho responds, “One hell of a headache, but it’s fine.”

“That’s good to hear.” Chan chuckles from the other end.

Minho smiles to himself, “Yeah, well...thanks for last night.” 

Then it dawns on Minho that “last night” could mean them basically making out. Panic rushes through him, so he quickly adds, “You know, for the party and for looking after my drunk ass...and taking me back here.”

“Of course.” Chan says warmly, “What kind of friend would I be if I just left you?”

“Right.” Minho chuckles, trying to hide his nervousness.

It was either Chan forgot about what Minho’s brazen drunkenness had done, or he just refused to speak about it. 

Either way, the two males continued to talk on the phone, mostly about random things as usual, and later on, they ranted about their schoolwork and gave words of encouragement. When their call ended, Minho spent the entire day doing schoolwork, and so did Chan. 

The next day was another school day that went by quicker than usual, maybe because Minho had something to look forward to. He dropped by Blueprint again, instantly greeted by Chan with a smile. A sigh left Minho’s lips, relieved that Chan didn’t change despite what he had done the night of the party.

Once Minho was at the counter, he grins, “I’ll have the regular...but you already knew that.”

Chan laughs, “Of course I did.”

Minho smiles at him, and Chan smiles back. There’s an unexplainable heaviness to the atmosphere; it’s not suffocating, but it’s definitely something. 

Minho clears his throat and gestures towards a random table, “Well, I’ll be studying over there then.”

“Ok, good luck.” Chan smiles, “I’ll have your drink ready in a bit.”

Minho nods and leaves to take a seat, taking his laptop and textbooks out of his bag. As he studied his notes and did whatever research he needed to do, his mind would not stop thinking about how his actions from the other night might have affected his friendship with Chan.

_What if he avoids me now?_

_What if he’s awkward now?_

_What if he thinks I’m-_

When he feels a gentle hand on his shoulder, his thoughts come to a halt as he looks at the owner of said hand. Chan smiles down at him, placing his coffee on the table. “You good? You seem pretty distressed. More than usual anyway.” Chan looks at Minho with concern.

Minho shakes his head, offering a small smile, “No, I’m fine. Just...sleepy maybe. You know…” he ends it with a rather awkward laugh.

Chan airily chuckles, moving his hand from Minho’s shoulder to his head, gently patting the soft hair there. “You’ve got to sleep earlier, you know?” he grins cheekily.

Minho rolls his eyes, playfully scoffing, “You’re one to talk, Bang.”

Chan shrugs, “No comment.”

“Ah, you’re distracting me!” Minho whines, gently pushing Chan away, “Go back to work!”

“Yes, sir!” Chan laughs, playfully saluting.

The barista then walks off with a laugh, and Minho finds himself internally screaming. 

Hours continue to fly by as Minho finishes some papers and studies in the coffee shop. Chan is busy at work as well, and Minho can faintly hear his honey-like laughter from time to time, maybe from Younghyun’s jokes or whenever he interacts with other customers. 

By the time the clock hit 10:00 PM or the end of Chan’s shift, Minho was half-asleep, leaning forward with his head on the table. Chan decides to sit down on the chair across Minho’s, smiling fondly as he reaches his hand out to gently comb through Minho’s hair as he says, “Wake up, sleepy head.”

Minho grumbles before sitting up, looking at Chan with a sleepy expression, “Is it 10 already?”

“Yup.” Chan nods, deciding to tease Minho while wiggling his eyebrows, “Were you waiting for me?”

“As if.” Minho blushes, pouting his lips in protest, “I just lost track of time.”

Chan continues to cackle, and his laughter is pure music to Minho’s ears. Did Chan know that? He was the music major after all. He should just make music using his laugh.

Minho’s expression then softens, but it also becomes much more blank and still. He’s staring at the empty coffee cup on the table, eyes empty and lifeless. Chan tilts his head, leaning closer, “Min, you good?”

Minho slowly snaps out of his daze, looking at Chan with starry eyes, “What?”

Chan offers a small, concerned smile, “You seem really out of it today. Is something wrong?”

“No, not really.” Minho chuckles lightly, offering a small smile, “Just...thinking about stuff.”

“Oh? What stuff?” Chan looks with curious eyes.

“Just...personal thoughts, you know.” Minho shrugs, laughing it off.

The dimpled barista offers an assuring smile as he nods, “Alright. If you ever need anyone to lean on, I’m right here.”

“Thanks, Chan.”

A few minutes later, the two decided to walk back to the dorms, ready to clock in for the night. As the night breeze caresses their skin and the leaves of the trees rustle, Minho suddenly feels like it’s too quiet. There were times when he and Chan were walking at night and they weren’t speaking, but the silence was calming.

_But right now, he felt like suffocating._

Clearing his throat in his utmost subtle manner, Minho makes small talk, “So...the party last Saturday was pretty cool. Didn’t know some dance club members were going to be there too.”

“Oh, right.” Chan hums, “A lot of music majors are members of the club or are friends with them.”

“Kinda see why.” Minho nods.

“Did you have fun?”

“Definitely.” Minho pretends to shudder, “Except for the part where I got drunk.”

Chan laughs at this, “Yeah? You were like a big baby.”

“Stop teasing me.” Minho pouts, “I woke up with a horrible headache.”

“You chose to drink that much.” Chan smirks, “Never in my life did I ever think I’d see you that clingy.”

Minho grimaces, pretending like he barely remembered, “Me? I got clingy?”

“Yeah.” Chan grins wider, almost teasing, “You wanted cuddles and kisses. You kept whining and clinging to me.”

“Now that’s embarrassing.” Minho groans before prodding further, “What else...did I shamelessly do?”

“We made out, if that counts as shameless for you.” Chan says as if it were _the most normal_ and casual thing to say.

Minho grumbles, the tips of his ears turning red. It’s not like he didn’t remember; _he just wanted to forget_. “Bury me now. Gosh, Chan...I’m so sorry about that.”

Chan shakes his head, but Minho can’t seem to place a finger on his much-too-casual tone, “It’s fine, don’t worry about it so much.”

“I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

“I wasn’t, don’t sweat it.”

The nonchalant, borderline-dismissive tone to Chan’s voice worries Minho. _Is it really not a big deal for him? Or is he just trying to avoid any more conversations about it? What if he’s just being nice to my face but he’s really disgusted?_

“I -” Minho is about to open his mouth to speak, but as they near the lobby of their dormitory, Chan’s phone rings. The male mouths a “hold on” to Minho before answering the call. A few minutes later, Chan looks at Minho with an apologetic face, “Sorry to leave so suddenly, but Changbin and Jisung need me for our track project. We’re kind of...in a rush.”

Minho nods, giving a small yet understanding smile, “Sure, good luck.”

Chan flashes one last smile, yet his eyes are everywhere but Minho’s. He isn’t even looking at his direction. Chan brings his phone back to his ear, calling Changbin. He then jogs inside the dorm, making a beeline for the stairs that leads to the second floor. 

Minho stands in the lobby again, trying to calm his jittery hands. 

_“I did that after the party because I wanted to be with you the whole night.”_ was what Minho wanted to say, but the dimpled male was long gone.

_“Because I heard what you told me before I fell asleep. Did really mean it, or were you just as drunk as me and caught up in the moment?”_

* * *

**☕ 07. Wait, you love me? ☕**

Minho hasn’t been able to drop by the coffee shop the past two or three days because his workload for school had been heavier than usual, probably because midterms were approaching. But today was another day, and he was slightly more free now; of course, he still had to study.

_It’s not like he wanted to see Chan again._

Though deep inside, Minho wanted to talk to the dimpled male. There was something he wanted to clear up - maybe say something rather urgent. It was eating him up from inside because he never felt like this in his entire life, but here came Chan, changing all that. The past two days of not seeing Chan was killing him because he knew he had things he wanted to say.

But to his disappointment, Chan wasn’t in Blueprint when he arrived. His heart sank, a heavy gloominess clouding his features. _“Weird. It’s his shift now.”_ Minho thinks to himself.

Either way, the male walks over to the counter where he is greeted by Younghyun. Minho offers a small smile, “I’ll just have one americano please.”

Younghyun smiles, punching in his order, “Alright, got it.”

Minho nods, and when the older male notices the lack of spark in the younger, he tilts his head and smiles warmly, “Looking for Channie?”

“Oh, what?” Minho’s voice nearly cracks, “Oh, no. Not really, I came to study actually. Have exams coming up.”

Younghyun nods, his grin never leaving his face, “Alright, good luck with that!”

A huge part of Minho did want to ask where Chan was, but he decided to just drop the subject. Instead, he waited for his drink before finding his place at a table by the quiet corner. There, he began to study, hoping it could take his mind off all the thoughts about Chan and his stupid dimples. 

But as he watched some YouTube video his professor had sent to their class, his mind drifted off to his thoughts once again. 

Surely, Felix and his other friends were right. He had admitted it to himself as well - _that he was in love with Chan_ \- but the fact that he potentially messed up any chances by being a drunken butt who threw himself onto Chan kept gnawing at his brain. 

_Maybe he was overreacting - overthinking too._ Maybe Chan really didn’t mind and Minho was just assuming things. Whatever it was, whether Minho’s assumptions and thoughts were true or not, the fluttery feelings and emotions of love were doing a lot of things to him - things he’s never felt or experienced before. Sure, he’s had a fling or two, but never anything this serious.

Mentally smacking himself, Minho shakes his head and snaps out of his daze, gluing his eyes back to his laptop screen to study. 

Thankfully, the next few hours came by almost quickly. Minho was busy studying, even when more and more students came into the cafe. However, Chan still wasn’t there. The male tried not to think too much about it, assuming that maybe the barista had stuff to do. Though, a small part of him kind of hoped Chan would make an appearance. 

But 10:45 PM came, and there really was no sign of Chan. Minho thought about calling or texting him, but his fingers felt frozen each time they gripped his phone. Sighing in defeat, the male packed his things and rose from his seat. He says a quick thank you to Younghyun and bows politely before heading for the door. 

As soon as Minho stepped foot outside the cafe, his eyes widened with surprise. He was not expecting to run into the man he has been wanting to see just outside.

“Oh.”

“Hey.”

They say at the same time, prompting Chan to chuckle and Minho to subtly smile. “Did you just finish studying?” Chan asks first.

Minho nods, “Yeah. Were you off today?”

“Yeah.” Chan smiles, nodding as well, “I asked to have today off ‘cause Jisung, Changbin and I had to do the finishing touches on a track for midterms. It was due...just a few minutes ago.”

A sense of relief washes over Minho as Chan spoke those words. “Ah, I see.” Minho hums, “Why’d you come here now? Make-up shift?”

“Oh, no. I just came to get coffee.” Chan laughs, shoving his hands in his pockets, “Wait for me? Let’s walk together after.”

“Oh, sure.”

So Minho waited for Chan outside, allowing the music major to go inside and grab a drink. After a few minutes, Chan returns outside with a cup in his hands and a large smile on his lips. “Let’s go?” he nods.

Minho hums in response, and the two begin walking. As usual, parts of their little walk is filled with silence, sometimes awkward, sometimes pleasant. After aimless walking and wandering, the two males end up in the campus’ outdoor amphitheater, barely any students there. Maybe there were two to four students, but they wouldn’t notice the two anyway.

They both took a seat, basking in the night sky as the stars glimmered above. “How was the track?” Minho asks timidly.

Chan chuckles a bit sheepishly, “Secret. I’ll let you hear it once the midterms are over.”

“Ah, no fun.” Minho smirks, gently shoving Chan.

The other male laughs, leaning against Minho as he playfully sing-songs, “You’ll have to wait!”

Minho grumbles, pretending to sound annoyed as he pushes Chan off him. They both end up laughing, the cheerful sound filling the night. A brief silence stretches between them as Chan sips his drink while Minho fiddles with his fingers. When it becomes too much to bear, Minho releases a deep breath and breaks the silence. 

“Hey, Chan…”

“Hmm?”

Minho internally rolls his eyes, suddenly regretting even speaking up. However, with Chan looking at him with curious and warm eyes, he can’t bring himself to back out. He then takes a deep breath and swallows the lump in his throat, “About the night of the party...when you took me back to my room, and I…”

Chan cuts him off gently, shaking his head, “Min, I said it’s really fine. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“No, listen Chan.” Minho’s voice becomes more firm and just a tad bit louder. He chews and licks his lips nervously, “I wasn’t drunk enough to _not_ be aware of what I was doing. I was _fully_ aware and in control of myself. I wanted to do all that because _I wanted to_. But I didn’t even realize you could have freaked out, or made you uncomfortable or...I don’t know, pushed you away with my stupid ass.”

Chan is quick to put a gentle hand on Minho’s knee, offering a small yet assuring smile, “Minho, I would have told you if I was uncomfortable or anything like that. I wanted to...you know, I wanted it as well, but I just didn’t want you drunk when it was happening. I just felt it wasn’t right. You didn’t push me away either. That wouldn’t make me avoid you, alright?”

Minho slowly nods. “That’s good. And also…” the male awkwardly coughs, “after everything...I know we cuddled and well, I think you thought I was already asleep but…”

Chan’s cheeks flush a faint shade of pink as he purses his lips, but he nods for Minho to continue. “I heard what you said. Did...did you mean it?” Minho asks, the tips of his ears beginning to turn red.

Chan hums, turning his gaze to the stars to compose himself. With his thoughts more organized, he returns his eyes to Minho, peering into the latter’s eyes with a raw intensity. “I meant it, Minho. Every single word, every single bit of it.” Chan smiles, squeezing Minho’s knee softly.

Minho has to bite his lip to stop the giddy smile from spreading on his lips. When Chan chuckles at the attempt, Minho lets go and ends up flashing the giddiest grin, hiding his flustered face with one hand as the other playfully shoves Chan away.

“Why’d you ask?” Chan laughs, leaning closer.

Minho rolls his eyes, “Why? ‘Cause I _think_ I love you too.”

“ _Think?_ ” Chan smirks, raising an eyebrow.

“Shut up.” Minho’s ears are burning as he tries to stop Chan from laughing, “I love you too. Happy?”

“Not quite.” Chan continues to tease, finding amusement at how Minho’s ears are getting redder and redder.

Minho whines, “Chan!”

The other male chuckles in amusement, bringing one hand to pat Minho’s thigh. “Ok, ok. I’m kidding.” Chan grins warmly, “I still say you were being a cute, clingy baby that night.”

“Please, stop.” Minho pouts, narrowing his eyes with a deadpan expression. The twinkle in his eyes remained, however, glimmering just like the stars above, “I just...wanted you to stay with me that night. _I just wanted to be with you._ ”

“You could have just said so. I would have been happy to comply.” Chan smiles.

“Yeah,” Minho sighs, “but I didn’t know how to say it. I’m not the best at these things ‘cause I’ve never felt like...this and all.”

“That’s valid.” Chan presses a quick kiss to Minho’s nose, “But from now on, you can tell me anything, alright?”

Minho nods, his lips curling into his signature cat-like smile. With that, Chan chuckles softly before reaching his arms out and wrapping them around Minho’s body, pulling him close for an embrace. Minho instantly melts in Chan’s arms, sighing in satisfaction as he nuzzles his face against the other male’s chest. His arms go around Chan as well, hugging him tighter and prompting an airy chuckle from the dimpled male.

“You still kind of owe me for stopping what we were doing.” Minho teases, the smirk on his lips half-adorable, half-naughty, “Felix is sleeping over at Jeongin and Seungmin’s room tonight.”

Chan laughs at this, bringing a hand to pinch Minho’s cheek, “Would that be your only order, mister?”

“Yes please.” Minho giggles, “Maybe add a few extra kisses on the side.”

“Coming right up.” Chan sing-songs, “ _Time with Chan and extra kisses for Minho_ , coming right up.”

And that was how they both ended up bare under Minho’s sheets, giggling and teasing each other as Chan towered above Minho. Chan’s cup was left on the bedside table, the drink now empty and forgotten. 

His lips attacked Minho’s in a kiss, gentler than the last time, but still deep enough for Minho’s liking. Chan darts his tongue out to lick Minho’s lips before it eventually enters his mouth in a smooth motion. Minho welcomes him immediately, greeting Chan’s muscle with his own tongue. 

They kiss and kiss and kiss as if they would never run out of breath, lips locking and tongues tangling beautifully. Minho pulls away for a second, only to whisper against Chan’s lips. “You taste like coffee.” he giggles, fingers tangling in Chan’s dark locks.

Chan’s thumb draws little circles on Minho’s bare waist, lips brushing against the other male’s own as he speaks and smiles, “And you like it.”

“I’m _addicted_ to it.” Minho smirks, leaning up to reconnect their lips. 

Chan enjoyed part-timing at the coffee shop for many reasons, and Minho liked going there for good coffee while studying. Yes, Chan got to earn extra cash and socialized with people to make them happy. Yes, Minho went there because he basically ran on coffee, something he loved for de-stressing. 

But most of all, they loved it because it brought them together.

_And quite frankly, that was the biggest perk._

* * *

**☕ 08. Bonus Epilogue: Love is in the Air ☕**

Having a free day from classes meant that Minho could spend time with Chan, and today, they both decided to spend it in Blueprint while Chan was working. Apparently, the whole month of February meant special discounts and limited edition drinks for the month of love. Chan’s shift was now in the morning, and seeing as to how it was still a bit too early, he and Minho were the only ones in the coffee shop. Younghyun was there too, but he was busy going through things in the manager’s office.

With the absence of customers for a while, Minho sat on the counter, watching Chan bring out a few things for the limited edition beverages. The barista smiles as he holds a small container of heart-shaped sprinkles, “I think it was Hyunjin who was snacking on this a few days ago…” 

“I understand.” Minho laughs, “Sprinkles taste better than you think.”

“Hmm, fair point.” Chan chuckles before setting the container on the counter and turning to Minho, “People don’t usually come in until 7:30 if it’s the morning shift. It’s still 7:00…”

“Yes, and?” Minho chuckles when Chan fits himself between his legs, hands on either side of his thighs on the countertop.

Chan presses a quick kiss to his lips before grinning warmly, “Want me to show you how to make any drink?”

“I know how to make coffee though.” Minho jokes, causing both of them to laugh.

Chan pretends to pout his lips. “I know that. What I meant was like...drinks from here.” the male’s eyes twinkle with amusement.

Minho nods, hopping off the counter to stand, “Sure, why not?”

And that was how they both ended up standing in front of one of the counters, giggling and laughing over a single beverage. Chan stood behind Minho, arms wrapped around and reaching forward with his hands clasped around Minho’s own. He was directing the other male on how to carefully place the whipped cream and syrup to make it look presentable, but Minho was a bit too playful, resulting in a very tall whipped cream mountain. 

“Ah! Minho! Too much!” Chan laughs at the little Mt. Everest that had formed on the strawberry-mocha drink, “How in the world-”

Minho can only laugh proudly, lips curling into a cute smile, “The more the merrier!”

Sighing in defeat, Chan directs his hands to the chocolate syrup, and thankfully, Minho does it properly. But come to the sprinkles, Minho puts too much once more, laughing louder this time. 

“It looks cute!” Minho defends, “Definitely very Valentine’s worthy. It’s got so much love.”

“The only one with so much love is me for you.” Chan wiggles his eyebrows playfully before looking at the drink Minho had made, “Ok, it does look decent now that it’s done.”

“Told you.” Minho smirks, craning his head to kiss Chan’s lips behind him.

Chan skillfully slides the drink away from them to prevent any accidents before reciprocating Minho’s kiss. With the beverage away from them, Chan kisses Minho back, placing his hands on the latter’s hips to turn him around to face him. Minho tasted like strawberry-mocha since he took a sip of the drink, and it made Chan want to kiss him silly all the more.

But he knows that’s unethical in the workplace. Instead, he pulls away after a few seconds and settles with attacking Minho’s face with softer, more feathery kisses. Minho doesn’t bother holding his giggles back, melting further into Chan’s arms with his back pressed against the barista’s chest.

Feeling playful, Minho scoops up some of the whipped cream that had fallen to the counter a while ago, swiping his finger at Chan’s face. Chan lets out a laugh before playfully doing the same, prompting a shriek from Minho. 

Their giggles come to a halt when Younghyun steps out of the manager’s office with a warm and amused expression on his face. “My, my.” he laughs, “That looks like a nice drink.”

“Thanks, I made it.” Minho admits proudly, prompting Chan to laugh.

Younghyun laughs as well, gesturing to their whipped-cream-decorated faces, “You’re both cute, but Chan should clean up and get ready since people are probably gonna start coming in.”

“Alright.” Chan smiles as he nods. 

Younghyun picks up the drink Minho made, taking a quick sip. He looks at the male with approval and even mutters something like _“maybe I should tell them to add that to the menu”_ before walking back to the cash register. Minho laughs, looking at Chan with sparkly eyes, “I’ll leave you to it then.”

He leans forward to kiss Chan’s lips, but before he completely pulls away, he moves a bit to lick at the whipped cream on Chan’s face. He doesn’t say a word afterwards, just smiles innocently before waving at Younghyun and retreats to the tables in the customer area. He takes a seat by one of the tables, grabbing a tissue from his bag to wipe off the cream on his own face and then starts working on some schoolwork.

Chan can only look with fondness, laughing to himself as he feels his cheeks getting redder and hotter. _Certainly, love was in the air._

**Author's Note:**

> Well, I hoped you liked that! This is probably the fic I am most proud of as of now. I'd really appreciate your thoughts and feedback on this one hehehe!


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